The World Keeps Spinning
by bendingoftheheart
Summary: When Ash Ketchum turns forty-years-old, all of his old friends and their families gets together to celebrate. In the midst of the party, a storm begins to brew between the next generation of pokemon trainers. As friendships and rivalries begin to form, every trainer is competing for that number one spot. Somethings will never change.


"Hannah, are you almost ready?" Tracey called from the living room.

His wife making him late was the least of his worries. Hannah was never on time. That was why he always told her important events were an hour earlier than actually scheduled. That worked for the first three times, and she stopped caring because she didn't like to be tricked. Luckily for Tracey, everyone in his life had come to terms with this and merely expected the couple to be late.

No, Tracey had more important things to deal with. While his wife decided on what shoes to wear, he was stuck keeping their children in one piece. Linus, 8, and Abigale, 6, were crying because they couldn't go outside and play in the mud in their fancy clothes. When Tracey questioned why they would even want to, Linus told him that it didn't matter because he could play and change before Mom was even ready to go. Tracey didn't really argue. On the other hand, their thirteen-year-old twins, Finn and Nora, were trying to have a pokemon battle in the living room for the last cookie. While the two had their pokeballs out and were threatening, they didn't dare do it under Dad's watchful eye.

"I'm coming, honey! I swear," Hannah called from the upstairs. "How late am I?"

"About fifteen minutes, and I am losing all control down here," he yelled back up to her.

Just as Linus picked the lock, Finn shoved the last cookie in his mouth. Tracey knew he was screwed. He couldn't pick which one he wanted to yell at more.

"Children!" Hannah yelled as she descended down the stairs.

All four kids stopped what they were doing and stared at the middle-aged blonde. Her face was stern. Her blue eyes were as cold as ice as she looked at them. She held her head high as she made her way down the stairs. She kissed her husband's cheek as finally reached him.

"Linus and Abigale, it is muddy outside, and it has been for the past two days which is why you haven't been allowed to play in the backyard. You aren't sandshrew. You don't need to play in the mud. If you go out in that backyard before you get permission, you will be grounded for a month," Hannah said as she looked at her two youngest.

Abigale sniffled. She ran over to her father and hugged his legs. She resembled Tracey the most out of all the kids. Due to this, she had a draw to him. Of course, there was also the fact that she was his baby, and he spoiled her like none other. Tracey picked her up and mumbled that Mom scared him too sometimes.

Hannah turned her attention to her eldest children. Both blonde with tan complexions, Finn and Nora were good looking teens, but their attitudes were just as nasty as their mother's had been at that age. Tracey had seen nights were the one of the twins and Hannah argued for an hour before he pulled them away from each other for a breather. They were stubborn. They were too much alike for their own good. Finn had Hannah's cold blue eyes that sent people swooning, but Nora had Tracey's eyes which was worse of all. They were soft, loving eyes. They were a weapon on such a brutal girl.

"No," Hannah said as she pointed a finger at the pair.

"How can you just say that?" Finn asked with a sneer.

"Because I am your mother, and I know what you are planning," Hannah said as she cocked her brow. "Neither one of you will pull a pokeball out at this soiree, do you hear me? Finneas? Annora?"

Silence.

"I don't care if all the other kids pull out pokeballs and start battling on top of you," Hannah said as she stared at them. "You will happily judge the battle from below their feet and hope they don't shit on your face."

"Swear jar, Mom," Linus said as he pointed to the jar on top of the fridge.

Hannah reached into her purse and pulled out some money. She continued scolding the twins about how they were to behave at this party. Through her spiel, she continued to swear, counting on her fingers how many bad words she used. Abigale covered her ears and rested her head on her father's shoulder. At the end of it, Hannah shoved it a wad of cash and glared at the twins.

"Are we at an understanding, loving children of mine?"

"Yes, mother," the twins replied with a roll of their eyes.

Hannah walked over to Linus and knelt down next to him. She whispered something in his ear that made him look back at the backdoor and giggle a little. Hannah smiled at him as she ruffled his dark hair. She held out his hand for him to take.

"Shall we go, Love? We might be late," Hannah said with a smile.

Tracey didn't really know how his life got to this. Sometimes, he was so overwhelmed with trying to figure it out that he lost track of what was important. He remembered meeting Hannah when she came to show Professor Oak some pokemon. He remembered taking her home to the Orange Islands for a while. He remembered her saying they should get married because she would good as his wife. He remembered the first time he saw her cry. Nine months after that day, he remembered the birth of Nora and Finn. Then, he remembered the other two coming along. Everything else in between seemed to be a blur.

No, Tracey had no idea how he had gotten here. All he knew was that he loved this life. He loved being a father to headstrong twins, a clever son, and a sweet daughter. Tracey was absolutely in love with this life that he was living. He wouldn't have this amazing life if he had never tried to sketch a pokemon battle happening on the beach.

"It's Ash's fortieth birthday," Tracey said as he walked out the door, "so he's probably going to be late to it."


End file.
